DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Transportation is warning Iowa drivers that a text scam is back on the rise.

According to the Iowa DOT, over the past month, there has been an increase in scam messages that claim to be the Department of Motor Vehicles. In the message, drivers are warned that they have unpaid traffic violations and that enforcement actions will be taken if the recipient doesn’t pay.

The scam says that if a person doesn’t issue payment, the recipient will be reported to the DMV database, have their vehicle registration suspended, have driving privileges suspended, and other various actions.

The Iowa DOT says recipients should not click on live links, paste them into browsers, or provide any personal details

The Iowa DOT reminds drivers that they do not text for unpaid tickets.

Other central Iowa agencies, including the Ankeny Police Department, Story County Sheriff’s Office, and Ames Police Department, have also released warnings to local residents of the increase in scam messages.

Visit the Iowa DOT website for additional information on DMV scams and how to protect yourself.